Patents Examined by Ngon Nguyen
  • Patent number: 10003710
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a setting unit configured to set setting information of an operation of the electronic device according to common setting information; a designation information acquisition unit configured to acquire designation information, which designates an acquisition origin of the common setting information, via a network; and a setting information acquisition unit configured to acquire the common setting information from the acquisition origin of the common setting information designated by the designation information acquired by the designation information acquisition unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD
    Inventor: Hiroki Uchibori
  • Patent number: 9996857
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for providing a variable data publication, wherein such publication is built as a custom publication for a particular user or group of users that includes editorial content or advertising that is based upon the intent of such user or group of users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: DOW JONES & COMPANY, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph B. Vincent, Larry L. Hoffman, Paul L. Cousineau
  • Patent number: 9990572
    Abstract: To prevent the occurrence of a difference in printing results depending on a printer driver to be used despite that the drawing command originates from a GDI application and is the same. An information processing apparatus including a printer driver configured to generate print data compatible with a printing apparatus from input XPS format drawing data, and in the case where the input XPS format drawing data is XPS format drawing data converted by a conversion module from GDI format drawing data that is generated based on print processing of a GDI application and the XPS format drawing data includes a graphics drawing command specifying an object width of 0, the printer driver changes the graphics drawing command into a graphics drawing command specifying drawing with the minimum object width that can be represented by the printing apparatus and generates the print data based on the drawing data including the graphics drawing command after the change.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Namihiro Mori
  • Patent number: 9979848
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus configured to control a cooperation operation that is to be executed by a first apparatus and a second apparatus, executes: reception processing of receiving the target data from the first apparatus; first determination processing of determining whether the information processing apparatus can communicating with the second apparatus; storing control processing of storing the received target data in a storage unit when it is determined in the first determination processing that the communication unit is in a non-communicable state with the second apparatus; second determination processing of determining whether the information processing apparatus cannot communicate with the second apparatus, after executing the storing control processing; and transmission processing of wirelessly transmitting the target data stored in the storage unit to the second apparatus through the communication unit when the information processing apparatus can communicate with the second apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Norihiko Asai
  • Patent number: 9973651
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an output image reading portion that reads an image of a physical document. The physical document includes a desired print image and a line image. The apparatus further includes a line image detecting portion that detects the line image at a predetermined position of the physical document using the image, a line image analyzing portion that determines a line width of the line image, a line-width correction value determining portion that compares the determined line width to a preliminarily set line-width threshold value and determines a line-width correction value based on the comparison, and a line-width correcting portion that performs line width correction on a to be formed line image based on the line-width correction value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Mieko Mita
  • Patent number: 9971553
    Abstract: A method of controlling a terminal device includes the steps searching for a communication device, registering, if the communication device is detected, communication information used for a first network connection by which the detection of the communication device is performed, and determining if communication with the communication device is available by a second network connection to which the terminal device is currently connected. A second determining step determines if communication with the communication device is available by the first network connection, based on the registered communication information, and a communicating step communicates with the communication device using the first network connection if it is different from the second network connection and communication with the communication device is determined to be unavailable, and also if communication is determined to be available in the second determining step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Mitsuru Konji
  • Patent number: 9967412
    Abstract: An HTTP relay server determines whether a communication partner device is a supporting device or a supported device, using a device management table. Further, the HTTP relay server determines a state of a state (used or unused) of a URI indicating an area where support data are temporarily stored, and a device using the URI (device ID), using the URI management table. When access (communication request) is received from an image forming apparatus, the HTTP relay server assigns the image forming apparatus to an unused URI. Further, when access (communication request) is received from an operator PC, the HTTP relay server assigns the operator PC to an URI used by the supported device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Kenta Fukushima
  • Patent number: 9959489
    Abstract: Delaying processing based on received commands is suppressed while preventing executing parallel processes involving operation of hardware. Servers can send printing commands and non-printing commands to a printing device. When a printing command is received from a first server and a printing command is then received from another server different from the first server while a process based on the printing command received from the first server is executing, the printing device does not execute the process based on the printing command received from the other server; but if a non-printing command is received from another server, the printing device executes a process based on the non-printing command received from the other server parallel to the process based on the printing command received from the first server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamamoto, Akio Takamoto
  • Patent number: 9952813
    Abstract: Provided is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a print control program which, when being executed by a processor of a print control apparatus, causes the print control apparatus to perform the following processing. The processing includes, obtaining specific information about a document file or an image processing apparatus; determining whether to conduct or skip an analysis of a file structure of the document file, on a basis of the specific information; and conducting or skipping the analysis in accordance with a result of the determining. The processing further includes, converting the document file into variable print data in response to receiving a result of the analysis; on conducting the analysis, outputting the variable print data to the image processing apparatus; and on skipping the analysis, outputting the document file to the image processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventor: Kunihiko Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 9952815
    Abstract: An image generation-output control apparatus provided in an image forming apparatus communicable with a server that controls a plurality of processes in an image processing system includes a first image processing unit, a second image processing unit, a job receiver to update an initial command information received from the server to a specific command information, a part of the initial command information updated to the specific command information processable at the second image processing unit and not processable at the first image processing unit, and a job controller to cause the first image processing unit to generate first image drawing information based on output target image information received from the server and the initial command information that is not updated, and further cause the second image processing unit to generate second image drawing information based on the specific command information and the output target image information received from the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Junpei Kuroiwa
  • Patent number: 9940081
    Abstract: A processing request management system includes a user terminal used by a user, a set of image processing devices, and a management device connected to each other via a communication network. The user terminal includes a first processing request information sender that sends processing request information to the management device. The processing request information is used for instructing an image processing device to execute processing. The management device includes a selector and a second processing request information sender. The selector selects a subject image processing device from the set of image processing devices, based on operating state information indicating an operating state of each of the image processing devices. The second processing request information sender sends the processing request information received from the first processing request information sender to the subject image processing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junya Yamada
  • Patent number: 9940650
    Abstract: An equipment unit is disclosed, including a first obtaining unit which obtains first identification information for a parameter set for calculating a use amount of the equipment unit; a comparison unit which compares the first identification information and second identification information for a parameter set for calculating a use amount of the equipment unit; a second obtaining unit which obtains information on a difference between the parameter set related to the first identification information and the parameter set stored in the equipment unit when the first identification information and the second identification information differ; and a control unit which calculates an amount of use of the equipment unit based on the parameter set stored in the equipment unit, and the information on the difference and controls the use of the equipment unit by the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Kazuki Ohara
  • Patent number: 9936094
    Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes: a contact glass provided at an upper surface of a main body of the apparatus to set a manuscript thereon, an image sensor being positioned below the contact glass and having a reading surface on contact glass side for reading an image from the manuscript on the contact glass, a carriage supporting the image sensor accommodated in a sensor container formed to have a recess open to the contact glass side, a rail member slidably supporting the carriage, and a biasing member biasing the image sensor to the contact glass side via a biased portion adjacent to the reading surface of the image sensor. An upper end of the biasing member is positioned below the contact glass and above the lower surface of the image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshinori Osakabe, Hiromi Tanaka
  • Patent number: 9936090
    Abstract: One or more printing apparatuses, one or more control methods for same and one or more storage mediums are provided herein. A control method in or for a printing apparatus according to at least one embodiment includes reading an image of an original document and generating image data, storing the generated image data in a storing unit (e.g., of the printing apparatus), reading out the image data stored in the storing unit and printing the image on a sheet on the basis of the image data, and controlling the printing apparatus in a manner that: (i) the reading of the image is started before a storage area for storing the image data generated by the reading is secured by the storing unit, and (ii) the image data generated by the reading is stored in the storing unit after the storage area is secured by the storing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Muto
  • Patent number: 9924059
    Abstract: An apparatus having a power-saving function includes first circuitry to control a transition of a power control state of the apparatus between a power-saving mode and a normal operating mode, and a communication interface to connect with an operating device to receive a user instruction from the operating device. The operating device includes second circuitry to control a transition of a power control state of the operating device between the power-saving mode and the normal operating mode. The first circuitry determines whether a combination of the power control state of the apparatus and the power control state of the operating device indicates occurrence of a trouble to the apparatus, and sends a notification to the operating device based on a determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Noriyuki Uehara
  • Patent number: 9924062
    Abstract: A system and method of authorizing one or more features of an application is provided. A first application having a first set of features that control one or more functionality of an image processing device and are always available and a second set of features controlling functionality different from that controlled by the first set of features and which require authorization to be operable. A second application executing on the image processing device includes data representing authorization parameters to selectively authorize one or more of the features in the second set of features. In response to detecting, by the second application, that a feature activation service is registered in an operating system of the image processing device by the first application, the second application communicates the authorization parameter data to the first application to authorize and make operable the one or more features of the second set of features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignees: CANON INFORMATION AND IMAGING SOLUTIONS, INC., CANON U.S.A., INC.
    Inventors: Jiuyuan Ge, Lance Yiuchong Leung, Song Cang, Jiayin Peng, Daniel Andrew Doran
  • Patent number: 9921784
    Abstract: An information processing apparatus is connected to one or more apparatuses via a network and includes a first acquisition unit that acquires communication information for communicating with any of the one or more apparatuses and authority information for writing the communication information to a predetermined information medium, a determination unit that determines whether the writing the communication information to the information medium is permitted based on the acquired authority information, and an updating unit that writes the communication information to the information medium when it is determined that the writing the communication information is permitted, to update the information medium with the written communication information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Mikiya Ichikawa, Tomoaki Okamura, Akio Ishida
  • Patent number: 9894242
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for receiving a fax transmission at a mobile phone. In one embodiment, the mobile phone receives an incoming call and answers the incoming call, upon receiving a command from a user of the mobile phone to answer the incoming call. A program on the mobile phone then detects that the incoming call is a fax transmission, and then places an outgoing call to a fax server. The program on the mobile phone then conferences the incoming call with the outgoing call to the fax server, such that the fax server receives the fax transmission. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: ADVANCED MESSAGING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yehoshua Lehavi, Kirk Freeman, Luis Garcia Meza
  • Patent number: 9891874
    Abstract: Provided is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling distributed printing to be executed in a distributed printing system including at least plural image forming apparatuses. The program, when being executed, causes an apparatus in the distributed printing system to perform the following processing of controlling distributed printing. The processing includes dividing a print job into job portions, and distributing the job portions to virtual queues corresponding to the image forming apparatuses, respectively. The processing further includes sequentially sending, to each of the image forming apparatuses, job portions in the corresponding virtual queue, in accordance with a status of job processing of the each of the image forming apparatuses, and moving one or more job portions from one to another of the virtual queues so as to keep a ratio of the numbers of job portions remaining in the virtual queues constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Konica Minolta, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazutoshi Yu
  • Patent number: 9891868
    Abstract: A charging processing system includes: a receiving unit configured to receive a request to execute a first function which a first device has, from a second device that does not have the first function; a function executing unit configured to execute the first function; and a charging processing unit configured to perform charging processing such that an amount of charge for execution of the first function is larger as there is a larger difference between a performance with regard to the first function and a performance of the second device or a performance with regard to a second function which has a lower performance than the first function and which the second device does not have.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yukinori Ishii, Makoto Sasaki, Junki Aoki, Takuya Mori, Itaru Kodaira, Hiroaki Ikkanzaka, Tomohiro Kuroyanagi, Fumiyoshi Kittaka, Koichiro Maemura